A Podcast About the Huge Opportunity of Podcasting!

We live in a world where multitasking has become part of our culture. Whether we are commuting to work, doing the dishes, or working out, many of us would like to use that time to also be doing something else—and according to this year’s edition of The Infinite Dial, it appears that a large part of the population is doing just that. With data showing just how popular podcasts have become, there are major implications for all of us in the business of lifelong learning.

In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, Jeff and Celisa talk about the phenomenon of podcasting, how it can be used as an effective tool for learning, and why every organization should seriously consider podcasting as a medium.

To tune in, just click below. To make sure you catch all of the future episodes, be sure to subscribe by RSS or on iTunes. And, if you like the podcast, be sure to give it a tweet!

Read the Show Notes

[00:18] –Co-hosts Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele preview that podcasting will be the topic of discussion in this episode of the Leading Learning podcast.

[00:40] – A reminder to check out the upcoming Leading Learning event, Learning • Technology • Design (LTD) to be held May 18-19, 2016 in Arlington, VA. The event is designed specifically to help professionals in the business of continuing education and professional development find new and better ways to engage learners and create lasting impact through the effective use of technology. There is limited capacity for the event so make sure to register as soon as possible.

[02:15] – Information about Infinite Dial 2016, the latest report in a series dating back to 1998 that uses the “gold standard” of survey research. It shows that over a third of Americans 12 years or older (roughly 98 million people) have listened to a podcast.Data shared by MarketingPodcasts.com indicates that more than a quarter of a million people subscribe to podcasts through iTunes with more than a billion subscriptions. 21% of Americans 12 years or older (57 million people) have listened to a podcast in the last month which proves how popular podcasting has become.

[04:02] – Jeff and Celisa share reasons why podcasting has had so much growth, including:

They are relatively easy to produce

Consumers can find personalized content and listen to it while doing other things–perfect for multitasking and fulfills promise of anytime, anywhere learning.

Getting podcast content is easier than ever—almost everyone has a mobile phone, which is all you typically need to listen to one. (A variety of apps, like Stitcher, Instacast, and Overcast make it easy to find podcasts, subscribe to them, and get automatic updates.)

[06:35] – A discussion about the name podcasting and how Tom Webster made the point (in the Marketing Over Coffee podcast) that the name has become anachronistic and that he prefers the term, audio on demand. Jeff and Celisa also talk about the convenient ways most people listen to podcasts (working out, car, etc.) and how every organization needs to be thinking about this.

[08:31] – A discussion about the phenomenon behind some of the breakout podcasts including the cultural impact of those such as the ‘Serial effect’.

[09:38] – Celisa and Jeff talk about why membership organizations in particular need to be paying attention to the power of podcasting. They share how NRECA began creating podcasts once they learned that the CEO’s of coop’s listen to podcasts because they have a lot of time in the car. It is also emphasized that when doing a needs assessment survey, you need to be able to use the data to reach new and broader segments.

[12:24] – Jeff shares different ways you can get content for podcast episodes including, leveraging member expertise and subject matter expertise. He explains how leading up to events such as the Leading Learning Symposium and Learning • Technology • Design (LTD), they have interviewed faculty of the event to preview content they will share (ex: Serious Flipped Learning with Dr. Brian McGowan). Celisa and Jeff also discuss how doing this builds community, expands your own knowledge/expertise, and gives valuable insight into how and what people engaged in your market are thinking about. They also talk about the value of show notes.

[14:42] – Jeff and Celisa discuss ways podcasts can be effective for learning—they are good for providing information, repeating information, serve as a doorway into learning experiences, and can provide supplemental content. They also explain why show notes can be a helpful learning tool and stress that podcasts should be easy to share so they can become a social learning object.

[18:32] –Celisa shares some of her favorite podcasts and why including, On Being and three from the Poetry Foundation (Poetry Magazine, Poem of the Day, Poetry Off the Shelf).

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[…] talked before about the huge opportunity that podcasting presents (see our previous episode, A Podcast About the Huge Opportunity of Podcasting!) but given the implications of this recent report, we are turning the lens once again, on this […]